Practice
by Nancy Vazquez, Editor of Writing Matters, the faculty newsletter of the University Writing Center
I once heard an experienced professor give the following advice to a group of nervous, first-time composition instructors: If you ever run out of things to talk about during class, he advised, have your students write for part of the period. He recommended this not only because it could get a flustered, inexperienced teacher out of a jam, but also because it was good for the students. He knew they needed the practice.
Experienced instructors don’t usually worry about running out of things to say in class. Instead, they have too much to accomplish and not enough time to fit it at all in. Still, I think there’s something important any instructor, even a veteran, can take away from that advice for first-timers.
The truth is our students don’t get enough practice writing. The requirements we have in place are a start, but depending on your students’ majors and schedules, there’s a good chance they go entire semesters, if not years, without writing anything for a class. And they simply won’t become better writers if they don’t get a chance to develop and flex their writing muscles.
Of course, once your syllabus is set, it’s hard to think of giving time up for writing, especially since you have material to cover. But what good is material that’s covered, if it’s not also understood and remembered? That’s where writing comes in. Writing can help that material sink in and make sense for your students. Writing won’t detract from their learning; it will enhance it.
By asking students to write, you’re not just making them practice a necessary skill, you’re also asking them to connect with what they’re learning.
So, as the semester rolls along, look for opportunities to sneak some more writing into your course.
- If your students don’t seem to be engaged with the course material, have them spend a few minutes summarizing a reading.
- If they seem to be confused about what to study before an exam, ask them to jot down their ideas. What do they think is important in what they’ve learned?
- If it’s a rainy Tuesday and you want to shake things up before a class discussion, get them to write first instead of speaking.
You don’t have to grade what they write; you may not even need to read it, at least not every word.
After all, it’s just practice–and it’s exactly what they need.
